Moon's Flower (Kingdom, #6)

Jericho’s laughter rumbled through her chest. “I’ve watched you for eons my lovely, Calanthe, and have only ever fallen more deeply, and madly in love. No matter what June, or Siria, or even Galeta did, our love was strong and true. I carried the memories of our last night in my heart, it’s what’s kept me strong.”


He held on to her as she cried it all out. All the years of separation and for what, because they’d dared to fall in love? That the sun could not understand that Jericho didn’t want her, would never want her, because he loved another. June’s petty jealousy, or Galeta’s harsh punishments… all the years she’d shoved it all away, she released it, let it go. And meanwhile Jericho was patient, murmuring endearments in her ear as he rubbed her back up and down over and over.

Finally, she chuckled through the tears. “This was not the way I would have wished to greet you. I cannot stand, that you look as beautiful as you once did and I must remain in this form forever.”

“As I said before, my luscious fairy, tonight is a night for magic…” And so saying, he tipped her chin up and stole the very breath from her lungs with an intensely passionate kiss.

His tongue was greedy as he slipped it between her lips, forcing her to part them so that he could duel with her own.

And a powerful feeling washed over Danika, a shivering tingle that spread from her toes, to her belly, and up through the crown of her head. At once, she knew something strange had just happened.

Breaking the kiss, her eyes widened as she stared down at herself. She’d only ever been able to maintain Calanthe’s beauty for a moment before the power of the curse would force her to return to her now familiar guise.

But she had not called the change.

She looked up and sucked in a sharp breath because Jericho was glowing from the light of the moon and he was sharing that light with her.

The night was redolent with the scent of a thousand roses. Inhaling deeply she watched as her body continued to shift and change. Her dragonfly wings turned to their familiar butterfly white. The briarwood vest and pants she always wore now, had been replaced by a sea of white rose petals.

Touching her head she smiled as the smooth locks of her long brown hair undulated like a wave down her back, replacing the tired old gray.

His hands framed her face and she couldn’t stop laughing. “What did you do to me?”

Gorgeous brown eyes crinkled at the corners. “For tonight, the moon’s magic is my own. I love you anyway you come, you crazy fairy, but if this is the form you prefer, then it is my gift to you.”

“Gods!” She flung her arms around his neck and squeezed so tight she was sure she was taking all the air from his body. “I love you. Thank you, Jericho. Thank you.”

“We do not have long. Only this night, but know this, my beautiful Fae, from this night onward, and every night afterward, you are mine. And I am yours. I will come to you and damn anyone who ever tries to stop us again.”

“Damn them all!” She planted a kiss on his cheek.

His strong, muscular body held hers so tightly and Danika wondered how she’d ever find the strength to let him go again.

“Calanthe, there is something I must warn you of though. You remember when Galeta handed down the curse?”

Her jaw clenched. “How could I ever forget?”

Jericho nodded, his face grim. “When she told Siria that for one night she’d give her control of my moon?”

Her brows dipped. “Yes, vaguely, why? I never could understand why she’d do such a thing. It made no sense to me then and I must have dismissed it.”

One look at his face though and she realized that perhaps having control of the moon was much more dangerous than she’d normally assumed it would be.”

Jaw working from side to side, he looked as if he didn’t want to speak. He appeared so sad and wounded that it grieved her to see it. Resting her palm against his cheek, she shook her head. “Come back to me, Jericho, what is it?”

“I was locked in darkness all of that day. I did not know what happened until after the deed was done.”

“Jericho, you’re worrying me?”

“Hatter’s daughter. The moon’s kiss.”

Swallowing hard, because that was a point of pain for all involved, Danika nodded slowly. “What’s happened to her?”

His hand was warm against her back. “It can be undone, you must understand that. But it will not be easy.”

“We’ve lost the girl,” she cast her eyes to the ground. “Chrysalis has her father’s heart, I just don’t know what to do now.”

“No,” he shook his head twining a long length of hair around his finger, “you haven’t lost her. Their daughter is still in there, trust me on that.”

And when she searched her heart, she knew she did. She always had. It was why after three hundred years she still loved him. They’d only shared two nights together in all that time, but it’d been enough for her to see the kind of man he was.

“I trust you,” she leaned up on tiptoe unable to resist from kissing him another minute, because if Jericho said they could reach Chrysalis, then she believed him. It might be hard, but not impossible.